Bollywood is ready to go big on ideas and theatrical offerings

After lessons from the pandemic, Hindi cinema bats for big ideas as well as theatrical offerings

Gehraiyaan

Six years after the delightful Kapoor & Sons, director Shakun Batra is back doing what he does best — examining relationships through his incisive lens. This time around, he attempts a domestic noir story about modern relationships with Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi and Ananya Panday. Interesting cast? Check. Able director? Check. Intriguing plot? Check. Enough reasons to keep an eye out for the Amazon Prime Video original.

Gangubai Kathiawadi

What happens when one of the finest young acting talents joins forces with one of the most prolific directors of current times? Silver screen magic, hopefully. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s directorial venture featuring Alia Bhatt — based on Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borges’ Mafia Queens of Mumbai — will narrate the real-life story of Gangubai Kothewali, the madam of Kamathipura. The film will premiere at the 72nd Berlin Film Festival this February. 

Vikram Vedha

Pushkar-Gayathri, who helmed the Tamil blockbuster Vikram Vedha, reinterpret it in Hindi with two of Bollywood’s finest actors, Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan. The drama that delves into morality, sees Roshan as gangster Vedha who narrates three stories to Khan’s Vikram, thus changing his perspective of right and wrong.

Pathan

Shah Rukh Khan. That’s enough reason to make Pathan a keenly-awaited affair. After being away from the arc lights since Zero (2018) and having a turbulent personal year in 2021, the superstar is ready to revive his romance with the audience. Picture abhi baaki hai, mere dost. 

Adipurush

Baahubali aka Prabhas returns to the big screen with the adaptation of the Indian epic, Ramayana. In this magnum opus about the victory of good over evil, the actor will be seen as Raghav to Saif Ali Khan’s Lankesh. Are big stars, mythology and action set-pieces still a potent formula in the post-OTT era?

Doctor G

It’s a new year, and Ayushmann Khurrana has new issues to bring to your attention. Doctor G, set in the campus of a medical college, sees the actor as a male gynaecologist in the making. He also has Anubhav Sinha’s social drama Anek in the pipeline. Will the actor continue his hot streak with these films? 

Shabaash Mithu

In a country obsessed with the men in blue, Taapsee Pannu has shouldered the responsibility of showing the struggles and successes of their female counterparts. Through the journey of ace Indian cricketer Mithali Raj, Srijit Mukherji’s film will explore the bias against women in the sport.

Ram Setu

The pandemic couldn’t stop Akshay Kumar who had four releases in the past two years. For 2022, he has lined up Ram Setu, a story rooted in the strength, bravery and Indian values that have “formed the moral fabric of our great country”. He will also be seen in Prithviraj, Raksha Bandhan and Bachchan Pandey.

Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway

Rani Mukerji and director Ashima Chibber team up to offer a retelling of the 2011 incident when Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya’s children were taken away from them by the Norwegian Child Welfare Services on grounds of parental neglect.

Bhediya

Taking forward his horror comedy universe after Stree and Roohi, producer Dinesh Vijan is set to launch monster comedy Bhediya. The Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon-starrer brings the werewolf narrative to the desi screens. Amar Kaushik’s directorial venture was extensively shot in Arunachal Pradesh.

Cirkus

One has to sit back and wait to see what happens when Rohit Shetty attempts the Shakespearean play, The Comedy of Errors. The comedy stars Ranveer Singh alongside Jacqueline Fernandez and Pooja Hegde. High on laughs and emotions, the film marks the reunion of Shetty and Singh’s potent jodi after Simmba (2018).

Tiger 3

Salman Khan tested the waters of a hybrid release with Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai last year. But the superstar’s films are best enjoyed on the big screen. He returns this year as the ever-dependable RAW agent Tiger in Maneesh Sharma’s ambitious venture.

Dasvi

Shot in Agra, the Tushar Jalota-helmed drama has Abhishek Bachchan playing a politician to Yami Gautam’s cop. The film also stars Nimrat Kaur. The comedy’s first look has intrigued the audience.

Yodha

After the mammoth success of Shershaah, Sidharth Malhotra is on strong footing. He reunites with mentor Karan Johar for Dharma’s first ever full-blown actioner, to be directed by Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha.

Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2

Kartik Aaryan has a flair for comedy. The actor teams up with Tabu and Kiara Advani for Anees Bazmee’s sequel to the 2007 hit of the same name. What’s not to love about a film that has Tabu serving up dollops of humour and horror?

After a long wait, the date is set

RRR

Many films awaited their turn at the marquee in 2021, only to be deferred by the pandemic.

Shamshera

This year promises them a date with the audience. SS Rajamouli’s RRR will open the proceedings this month — the magnum opus may just remind us of the big-screen magic. Ranveer Singh brings his Jayeshbhai Jordaar in February.

Jayeshbhai Jordaar

Ranbir Kapoor can heave a sigh of relief as his Brahmastra will see the light of day, as will Shamshera. Where Ajay Devgn will gear up for Maidaan, and we’ll have our eyes peeled for Aamir Khan’s labour of love, Laal Singh Chaddha.

Brahmastra and Maidaan

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